What’s on your Travel Bucket List?

The Buttontapper Challenge is back! This month’s challenge is Seussily titled “Oh, the Places We’ll Go!” and will feature a new destination, daily, with inspiration from film and literature.

Today we’re not traveling to a specific destination. Since it’s Sunday, a day of rest, I’m challenging you to think about your Travel Bucket List: all the destinations you’d like to visit in your lifetime. Where do you really want to go? What do you absolutely have to see before you kick the proverbial bucket?

Let’s create a Top 10 List (or Top 5, or Top 20… or even Top 100 if you prefer!) and share some of our favorites.

Here’s my list, in no particular order:

10 – Italy

As you may have guessed from my inclusion of both Florence and Rome, in addition to Italy at large, I am very eager to travel to Italy at some point. My parents recently went on an anniversary trip touring the Florence area, along with my aunt and uncle, and they all had a great time. They brought me back a bottle of authentic Italian olive oil, which was lovely, but now my hunger for Italy has only increased. My husband and I keep on watching Rick Steves’ Cinque Terre episode and drooling, and we definitely have to visit Venice before it’s completely crumbled into the sea, so all I can really say is bring it on!

9 – Ireland

There is something incredibly romantic to me about the idea of trekking across a country on foot. Especially a country that’s as beautiful as Ireland, with so many natural wonders – as well as the occasional castle – to stumble upon throughout the journey. And, of course, this island’s love of storytellers is not lost on a writer, so visiting some of the country’s historic sites and soaking up the home of so much English-language literature is appealing as well. I’d love to simply ramble around Ireland and Scotland for a while, exploring the countryside, reading, and scribbling in my notebook. Edinburgh is another destination I’d loop into this trip, where I’d hope to be able to do quite an extended stay.

8 – Japan

The culture of Japan just seems like such a contrast to the culture of the US, and thus this island country is another place I’d love to visit. (I do have a lot of island destinations on my Bucket List, don’t I?) Kyoto is a city I am particularly interested in visiting, since it seems like such a mix of the quiet calm of nature and man-made hubbub.

7 – New Zealand

For reasons similar to my interest in Ireland, New Zealand seems like a country I’d just like to ramble around. Tolkien fans have apparently been crowding the country since the Lord of the Rings movies came out, but I’m more interested in the laid-back lifestyle and lush green spaces.

6 – India

The Taj Mahal, a monument to eternal love, is slowly being destroyed by both air and water pollution. I definitely want to see this endangered landmark before it sinks into the earth for good. (That’s not the Taj, pictured above, but the Moonlight Gardens or Mehtab Bagh, which supposedly has the best view of the Taj Mahal but with much smaller crowds. Thanks to the photographer, Julian Yu, for the tip!)

5 – China

Two words: Great Wall.

4 – Iceland

Björk! Blue Lagoon hot springs! Northern lights! Skógafoss – the tallest waterfall in the country! What’s not to love about Iceland?

3 – Peru

Llamas! Machu Picchu! Glaciers! Mountains! Deserts! Beaches!

2 – Mont Saint-Michel

It’s an island accessible by road or walkway only during low tide. If you don’t have a rowboat once the tides come back in, forget it. Ideally, I’d love to be here during a Supermoon!

1 – Galapagos Islands

I clearly have an obsession with islands, so the Galapagos is definitely one of my biggest Bucket List items. Ancient sea turtles! Snoozing sea lions! Leaping lizards! Blue-footed boobies! Colorful crabs! The birthplace of the theory of evolution! Darwinism in action! ISLANDS!